Praise of Our Folly

Large group free sessions can first, be difficult to organize, and second, very difficult to record.

The risk you run is everyone just honking away in a sort of undifferentiated mass of noise.

The musicians, and engineers, on this album seem to have taken this into account.

What could have been a honk fest is calmed down, the first piece almost feels like everyone was challenging the each other to play as quietly, and as little, as possible while still maintaining the tension of the piece.

However, what makes this album interesting is that it feels like a true cooperative group effort.

I can’t say I’ve every heard such a large ensemble (nine musicians!) where it feels so free, yet at the same time, restrained and sensitive. These musicians feel like they have spent a lot of time playing with each other and have an extreme empathy for each other.

Smaller groups among the musicians form and dissolve in a seemingly organic fashion throughout the course of the album.

III is probably the closest to a full on blow out and certainly does not disappoint, though, again, I am extremely impressed by how the recording engineers found differentiated space for all the players within the group.

Apparently, I need to bring my saxophone the next time I visit Portugal!

Oh, and it is, maybe, the best ever album name for a free improvisation recording.